President Muhammadu Buhari met with Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the governor told State House correspondents that he updated the president on security and socioeconomic developments in his state.
In response to his presentations, he said, President Buhari pledged to do more to ensure adequate security of life and property for all citizens in the state and across the country as the holiday season approaches.
Steps are being taken, he says, to address security concerns in the country’s south-east.
“Among the issues we discussed is the growing insecurity in the South-East,” he said.
“Despite the activities of bandits and unknown gunmen in the area, you may recall that the correctional facility in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, was broken into and over 1800 inmates were released.”
“Since then, they’ve gone on a rampage, committing various crimes such as kidnapping and armed robbery, among others.”
“There is a need for us to really clean up the state because this time of year is so important to our people, and we want to make sure that those who come home for Christmas have a conducive environment in which to enjoy and celebrate the season.”
Uzodinma also revealed that he sought presidential intervention for additional funding and personnel to assist the state government in addressing current security challenges.
“I requested additional manpower as well as funding to help with the security situation in Imo State, and the President graciously approved,” he said.
On the recently concluded gubernatorial election in Anambra, where he served as Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign council, the governor said he explained to the President how they tried their hardest to win but did not achieve the desired result.
“The Anambra election has passed, and other things may be post-election activities.”
“I was able to explain to the President how we attempted to win the election; we campaigned vigorously and converted a large number of people to APC, but the election was met with voter apathy due to the high level of insecurity in Anambra.”
“Other decisions and positions would be made by the party’s leadership.” “As Chairman of the Campaign Council, I have done my part,” he added.
According to him, the national leadership of the party and its candidate, Andy Ubah, will decide whether or not Prof. Charles Soludo’s election victory will be challenged in court.
He also dismissed the notion that the ruling APC might not be re-elected in 2023 due to the country’s current economic and security conditions.
Many people are joining the party, he claims, because Nigerians are pleased with President Buhari’s performance.
“The country’s mood is that the president is doing very well.”
“The mood of the country is that APC, despite the peculiarities of the times when insecurity has taken over the globe, where Covid-19 has ravaged every place in the world from one variant to another variant, we are able to come out of recession.”